Really, it’s almost here. Kids love the holiday, families enjoy the tradition, but too many budgets bust because most of the shopping is done just a few weeks before the big day. People decide, every year, to plan ahead next time, it rarely happens. So, to plant seeds of inspiration and save you from the hordes of other shoppers, we’re outlining some eco friendly gifts a few months in advance.
- Pure natural products. There’s a heightened awareness among everyone that the things we put into (and onto) our bodies matter. Giving unique soaps, lotions, and body wash without toxins, chemicals, or genetically modified ingredients can show a person you know them and their preferences well, but more so that you care about their life and health. It’s possibly the easiest gift too, because everyone can use and enjoy these pure natural products.
- Reusable containers. We don’t mean Ziploc. Whether for food storage or drinking on the go, people need containers and bottles, which makes them great eco friendly gifts. Manufacturers have created just about everything under the sun in a reusable form, and they’re becoming some of the most stylish designs, so even your less green-minded friends can enjoy and appreciate them.
- Refillable pens. These can be especially meaningful to students, businessmen, or anyone who loves to write. Professional and of a higher quality than the Bic pens given away at every hotel, reusable pens can often be engraved to show someone you care even more. And because they never dry up, they’ll save the earth from a lot of wasted plastic.
- Gardening tools. During WWII, Americans were urged to plant victory gardens to relieve local pressure on farmers and local manufacturers. Today, with the carbon impact of shipping vegetables across the nation and world, growing your own can be one of the most environmentally friendly hobbies in the world—which means seed packets, tools, and gardening handbooks can be some of the most eco friendly gifts.
- Eco friendly crafts. Not everyone likes do-it-yourself kits, but every parent welcomes them as a positive means to entertain their children. Bird feeders, bat houses, and garden sculptures can all be bought assembled, or they can be made at home with more pure natural products. Creating a safe haven from pet cats preserves the lives of songbirds and bats, and it can just be a fun way to spend the afternoon.
- Indoor plants. A lot of people never learn to keep them alive, but those who do know how much richer and more vibrant their home feels with cacti and ferns. There’s an environmental explanation to that feeling: houseplants produce more oxygen and clean toxins out of the air. They come in such a variety, too, that plants can be appropriate and unique eco friendly gifts for just about everyone.
- Adventure certificates. Like everybody else, you have at least one friend or relative that has everything she wants, so any physical present won’t cut it. Buying her a trial membership to a yoga studio or art class, though, can be a creative, personal, and environmentally conscious gift. Classes and fitness classes are eco friendly gifts because they don’t use packaging and don’t require a shipment. They’re about the experience, so if you can’t think of anything for the last person on your list, consider something outside the box.
